Incandescent-electric lighting apparatus



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. P. BROWN.

INOANDBSGENT ELECTRIC LIGHTING APPARATUS. No. 337,923. Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. P. BROWN.

INCANDESOENT ELECTRIC LIGHTING APPARATUS.

Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD P. BROWN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

lNCANDESCENT-ELECTRIC LIGHTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,923, dated March 16, 1886.

Application filed November 13, 1885. Serial No. 182,671.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD P. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Incandescent Electric-Lighting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means of operat ing groups of incandescent lights in multiple arc in connection with are lights on the same circuit, and more particularly to the apparatus for automatically varying the resistance in a shunt-circuit around each group of incandescent lights.

The present invention is an improvement upon that forming the subject-matter of my previous application No. 167,952, filed June 8, 1885, and upon which a patent will issue in due course on or about November 17, 1885; and the principal object of this invention is to simplify and cheapen the construction of the apparatus shown in said previous application.

To this end, and herein my present improvement consists, the mercury-contact is made the movable one, and the cup or vessel for holding the same is mounted directly upon the movable core of the solenoid, while the series of contacts leading to different portions of the variable resistance are fixed and made of different lengths, so that as the mercurycontact is raised or lowered one or more of the resistances will be put in or cut out. The shell or spool of the solenoidis closed at the bottom or made in the form of a cup and partially filled with oil or other fluid, and the movable core is made to fit the same sufficiently tight so as to serve as a dash-pot, to regulate its movement. One coil of the double solenoid is dispensed with, or rather a weight is substituted therefor, a small low-resistance magnet operating a pawl or detent being employed to arrest the action of the weight, except when the resistance of the shunt is being varied.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram view showing the circuits. Fig. 3 is a detail central (No model.)

vertical section of the relay-magnet or solenoid and the contacts or connections operated thereby. Fig. 4 is a like view of the movable mercury contact and fixed resistance contacts. Fig. 5 is a central section of the combined solenoid and dash-pot. Fig. 6 is a rear view of the weight and its controlling magnet, and Fig. 7 is a detail elevation of a portion of the resistance, showing one of the contact-plates and its wire.

In said drawings, A may represent a main or high-tension circuit, in which may be included in series a number of arc lights.

B is a local or incandescent light-circuit, in which are included on suitable branch circuits, b, a number of incandescent lights, I), in mul tiple are.

C is a shunt-circuit around the group of incandescent lights, in which is included a variable resistance C, consisting, preferably, of a carbon pile or series of resistance-plates, to which connection from the shunt-circuit is made at different points. The shunt and lamp circuits diverge at a point, as m, and reunite at a point, as :0.

D is a relay-magnet or solenoid, the coil of which is included in a branch, 1), around the group of lamps, so as to be in multiple are with the lamps.

E is a solenoid by which the movable mercury-contact G is operated to increase or diminish the resistance of the shunt. The coil of this solenoid is included in the main circuit, but it remains normally short-circuited by the short-circuit wire 6, leading from a point, as x", to a point, as

F is a small or low-resistance electromagnet, the coil of which is normally included in the main circuit, but which may be cut out by operation of the relay-solenoid D.

The core d of the relaysolenoid D is provided at its upper end with a mercury contact or cup, d, into which project three fixed contacts or wires d, d and (I the two former of which are of the same length and constitute part of the short circuit, 6, by which the solenoid E is cut out of the main circuit, and the last one of which, d*,constitutes part ofa short circuit,f, which, when closed, cuts outthe magnet F. The movable core at is preferably made in the form of a hollow tube, and the mercury cup d may be adjustably secured thereto by a screw-stem, d fittingin an insulating-plug, d,in the end of the hollow core d. The upper end of the shell or spool of the solenoid is furnished with an insulating-plate, d, through ahole in which the stem (1 plays, and the solenoid is inclosed in a cylindrical case, (2-

The shell or spool e of the solenoid E is closed at the bottom-as, for example, by a plug,e-and it is furnished with a rim or cupshaped enlargement, e", at its top, to contain oil or other fluid, and thus serve as adashpot to regulate the motion of the core 0 therein. A cover, 6", fits over the rim e and serves to exclude dirt and also as a hearing or guide-for the core which moves up and down through the same.

The mercury cup or contactG is secured on the end of the core 6 by means of a screwshank or pin, 9, on the cup, which fits in a threaded insulating-plug, g, in the end of the core. By this means also the mercury-contact may be adjusted up and down. A' series of fixed contact-pieces, c, of difi'erent lengths,

preferably arranged spirally in a bundle, about as shown in Fig. 4, project into the mercury-cup G and lead therefrom to ditferent parts of the resistance 0. These contactpieces 0 may preferably consist simply of the ends of the covered or insulated wires c,which lead to different parts of the resistance. To conveniently and securely connect the several wires 0 with their respective metal contact-plates c, inserted at different points between the carbon plates 0, which constitute the resistance, I provide each of these metal plates c" with two holes, through one of which the wire 0' is inserted and through the other of which a rivet passes, by which the flattened end of the wire 0 is securely fixed to the con! tact-plate and perfect connection made. The carbon blocks are arranged in vertical piles or blocks, as thereby a better connection is secured between the individual blocks. The mercury cup or vessel G is made of a corresponding shapeto the spiral bundle of contactpieces a and but slightly larger than the bun-J dle, so that the immersion of the bundle in the mercury will cause the level of the latter to rise in the cup, and thus materially diminish the amount of mercury required,as well as the necessary limit of motion of the cup, in order to make or break connection with all the different contact-pieces c.

The solenoid E operates to pull its core and the mercury-cup down when the current passes through its coil, and the mercury-cup is moved in the opposite direction or raised by means of a weight, H, having a cord or chain, h, which passes over a pulley, h, and is connected at its opposite end to the core eof thesolenoid E. The pulley h is furnished with a ratchet, h, in the teeth of which engages a pawl or lever, h, operated by the little magnet F, so as to prevent the weight from moving the mercury-cup, except when the magnet F releases the lever h". The armature lever or pawl h ofiers no obstruction to the turning of the ratchet Win the opposite direction, so that the solenoid E is always free to pull the mercurycup down when the current is sent through its coil.

In operation, when an additional lamp or lamps are lighted, or when for any cause the lamps receive too small a proportion of the total or main current, the relay D, which is in parallel circuit with them,will also receive too little current and fall below itsnormal strength, thus lowering the mercurycontact d until the short circuit 6 is broken between the fixed contact-pieces d" and (1 The moment the short-circuit e isthus broken the current will greater portion of the total current through the lamps and the relay until said relay again assumes its normal strength, and, returning its core to its normal position, re-establlshes the short circuit 6 around the solenoid E.

When, on the other hand, too much current is flowing through the lamps, the core d and mercury-contact d will be raised by the relaysolenoid D until the short circuitf is closed at d, thus cutting out the low-resistance magnet F, so that its armature lever or pawl h disengaging with the ratchet h", will release the weight H, and thus raise the mercury-contact G and diminish the resistance of the shunt until the core of the relay again assumes its normal position and breaks the short circuit f.

Instead of the weight H, a spring may be employed as an equivalent; or the gravity of the core and mercury-cup thereon may be arranged to serve as the weight to move the core in one direction, while the solenoid moves it a movable liquid contact or cup, a series of fixed contacts of different lengths projecting therein, an electro-motive device for operating said liquid-contact, a relay-solenoid, a liquidcontact operated by its core, and fixed contacts connecting therewith, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a variable-resistance shunt around a group of lamps, of a se- 'ries of fixed contacts of different lengths, a

movable mercury-contact, a solenoid having a shell or spool closed at the bottom, containing oil or other fluid, and a core fitting therein as a dash-pot for operating said mercury-contact, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with a variable-resist- IIO ance shunt around a group of incandescent lamps, of a series of contacts of different lengths, a mercury contact, a solenoid normally short-cireuited, a weight, an electromagnet for holding and releasing said weight, and a relay for controlling the operation of said solenoid, and said weight holding and releasing magnet, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with dilferent-length contacts 0, of mercury-contact G and solonoid E, said solenoid operating to make and break connection between said mercur v-contact and said several contacts of different lengths, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with solenoid E, having closed shell 6, provided with enlargement or rim e at its top, of core 6*, fitting therein as a dash-pot, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with a variableresistance shunt around a group of lamps, of a relay included in a branch circuit, and an electromotive device and a weight, set in operation by said relay for varying the resistance of said shunt, substantiallyas specified.

8. The combination, with a variable-resistance shunt around a group of incandescent lamps, of a relay included in abranch circuit, a weight,and pawl-and ratchet mechanism for arresting said weight, an electro-magnet for holding the pawl in engagement with the ratchet, and an electro-motive device acting in conjunction with said weight to vary the resistance of said shunt, said weight and electro-motive device being controlled by said relay, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with a variable-resistance shunt around a group of lamps, of a series of contacts of different lengths arranged in a bundle, leading to different parts of the resistance, and a liquid contact vessel conforming substantially in shape or size to said bundle of contacts, substantially as specified.

10. The combination,with a variable-resistance shunt around a group of lamps, of contacts c of different lengths, solenoid E, its movable core e*, and mercury-contact G, mounted on the end of said core, substantially as specified.

11. The combination,with a variable-resistance shunt, of contacts 0 of different lengths, solenoid E, having closed dash-pot shell 6, movable core 0, and mercury-contact G, secured to said core, substantially as specified.

12. The combination,with a variable-resistance shunt, of contacts 0 of different lengths, solenoid E, having closed dash-pot shell 6, movable core 6 mercury-contact G, secured to said core, weight H, cord or chain h, pulley h, ratchet h", lever h, magnet F, and a relay to open and close circuits, in which said magnet and solenoid are included, substantially as specified.

13. The combination,with a variable-resistance shunt, of contacts 0 of different lengths,

solenoid E, having closed dash-pot shell 6,

movable core 6, mercurycontact G, secured to said core, weight H, cord or chain h, pnl ley h, ratchet h", lever h, magnet F, relaysolenoid D, having movable core (I, mercurycoutact d, secured to said core, fixed contacts d 01, and d*, said relay operating to break and close short circuits 6 and f around said solenoid E and magnet F, substantially as specified.

14. The combination,with a variable-resistance shunt around a group of lamps, of a controlling relay-solenoid in a branch circuit, having a movable core, a mercury-contact secured to said core, and fixed contacts projecting into said mercury-contact, substantially as specified.

HAROLD P. BROWN.

Witnesses:

EDMUND ADoooK, H. M. MUNDAY. 

